40/150: Feeling a bit on the BLUE side? Fight the blue with BLUEberries!

The lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) are a widely cultivated commercial plant crop with Canada being the largest producer of them. Lowbush blueberries are unique in that growers do not plant them, instead they manage wild stands of them. They differ from highbush blueberries in that they are smaller and are packaged for processing and freezing where highbush are the ones you buy fresh in the grocery store. From mid-June to mid-August, this plant grows into bushes ranging from 30-60cm tall with its roots spanning horizontally across the field in a rhizomatous fashion. Blueberries contain many antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are essential to preventing common degenerative diseases (i.e. cardiovascular diseases, cancer, Alzheimer’s). Moreover, calorie consumption is minimal so eat as many as you desire to fill up on all the benefits blueberries bring! #Canada150 #Biodiversity150 #TeamBlue

39/150: Are they centipedes or….??

39/150: Are they centipedes or….??

Also known as symphylans or garden centipedes, pseudocentipedes are only distant relatives of true centipedes! They are actually more closely related to pauropods and millipedes of the same subphylum Myriapoda. They are often found in forests and soil environments 50 cm down the surface. These little critters lack pigment in their body and do not possess eyes. Don’t you worry though; these creatures can still find abundant food sources in the form of decaying vegetation, animals and soil microorganisms. Unfortunately, their menu also includes the seeds and roots of numerous crops! Yes, pseudocentipedes are considered to be nasty pests and have been known to cause crop failures in the agricultural industry. But hey, some species are found up high in caves and trees, so maybe not all are that bad! #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Pseudocentipedes lack pigment in their body, giving them the appearance of a transparent organism. Photo Credit: Soniamartinez goo.gl/QfGTjbPseudocentipedes have debilitating effects on crops as they can cause extreme damage to roots and seedlings of plants. Photo Credit: Andy Murray goo.gl/dOvLkLA pseudocentipede co-existing in the soil ecosystem with a poduromorph springtail. Photo Credit: Marshal Hedin goo.gl/oScRRZ